


The Dark One Lives Again

by EstelleDusk



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen, I was told my heart would be ripped out if I wrote this, Spoilers, season 2 finale spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-14
Updated: 2013-05-14
Packaged: 2017-12-11 21:13:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/803324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EstelleDusk/pseuds/EstelleDusk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if...Peter Pan rips the shadow off of one of the people heading to Neverland to save Henry? What if doing so to Rumplestiltskin...causes the Dark One to exist as his own entity apart from Rumplestiltskin?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dark One Lives Again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MyRoyalDame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyRoyalDame/gifts).



> This story is based on this prompt from Tumblr: "…what if ripping his shadow off causes the Dark One to exist outside of Rum as his own entity?"  
> Which is what I said in reply to something said by the person I'm gifting this work to.

"How do you do it?" The aptly named waitress with red streaks in her hair asks the new Mayor of Storybrooke.

"Hm? Being mayor isn't much different from running a castle back home, Ruby." Librarian Mayor Queen Belle French replies, looking up from her paperwork for a brief second and then sipping her iced tea.

"No, I mean...Emma and them are so far away and everyone's worried. Except you. And that's your true love in a whole other world." Ruby explains herself as she leans on the table in the booth her friend sits at.

Belle gives a little grin as she notices that the diner grew quiet when Ruby properly asked what everyone was thinking. She puts her pen down and gently places her hands on Ruby's where they rest on the table. "It's quite easy, Ruby. I have a way to make sure they're okay. As long as Rumplestiltskin is alive and well, he wouldn't dare let anything happen to his new found family. And he would make sure they come back safe and sound."

She doesn't mention the kris dagger strapped to her thigh with her true love's name etched into it. She doesn't mention that she's extremely worried since he couldn't give her a clear answer if he was coming back. She doesn't mention that she checks to make sure Rumplestiltskin's name is still on the dagger every hour. Belle's hourly phone alarm goes off and she makes an excuse and leaves the diner with all of her papers. She rushes back to her new office and locks the door before checking the dagger. She sighs in relief when his name is still there and starts to reattach it to her thigh when the dagger begins to burn her and she's forced to drop it.

Belle stares at the kris dagger and her heart drops. The name is disappearing. She cries out in anguish as she continues to stare. Her hands quickly go to cover her mouth. She can't let anyone hear her.

She's been the pillar of strength for the citizens of Storybrooke. She can't break down.

Then the blade is wiped clean of any name.

\--

In Neverland, Emma, Charming, Snow White, Regina, and Hook stare as Rumplestiltskin's shadow is ripped from his scaled and gold-dusted body. Then the Dark One's shadow seems to take on a life of his own as Rumplestiltskin's scales and gold fade from his skin. His curly hair takes on the shape it did when he was Mr. Gold. And Emma notices that the shadow is gaining each mark of the Dark One that Rumplestiltskin is losing.

Rumplestiltskin continues to scream in pain. In the back of his mind, he says an apology to Belle and is grateful that she isn't here to see this. He had a feeling Peter Pan would do this. In fact, he fully expected it. That's why he gave that spell to Belle. To make sure that he wouldn't be able to get back to Storybrooke so long as he would be like this.

He hoped Emma would find a way to defeat Peter. But if she doesn't, he's holding out for Hook to kill him and his shadow. It's the only way Belle would be safe.

He's helped up to his feet when he finally stops screaming. His shadow, in the guise of the Dark One, helps him before psychotically giggling. Rumplestiltskin finds that he can't control his limbs and can't even speak without permission from Peter. So he tries to tell Emma, Regina, Charming, Snow White, and even Hook, with his eyes, that he's not in control. He sees them give him odd looks before Snow White's face seems to light up in understanding.

Snow White pulls at her husband's arm, trying to tell him that she doesn't think he's really Rumplestiltskin anymore.

"Well, now, my two newest slaves, hurry up and kill them." Peter Pan happily says whilst clasping his hands together in glee.

The Dark One's Shadow giggles in equal happiness before stalking forward to do as commanded.

The Spinner mumbles a low, "yes, master," before hobbling forward as well. The stripping of his powers and his shadow having returned him to his human self. Limp and all.

"Oh, hell no..." Emma mutters before shoving her parents out of the way of the Shadow's lunge.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry....


End file.
